We already knew that the New York Giants were going to be underdogs going into their Week 7 match against the Houston Texans.
The line has moved significantly by Thursday, dropping the Giants to 10.5-point underdogs against the Texans, per Fanduel.
The Texans have consistently been viewed as being better than their record despite their 0-4 start to the season. The Giants, meanwhile, have been viewed with skepticism despite their 3-1 start. So it was expected that the Giants would be underdogs when
this week’s opening odds came out.
The Giants’ odds have been dropping all week, and they were 9.5-point underdogs by Wednesday. It’s notable that the Giants’ odds got longer the day after they made a quarterback change, dropping a full point despite J.J. McCarthy coming off a game in which he threw for nearly 250 yards and a touchdown in less than a quarter.
The change in the odds is likely due to a combination of factors. The Texans are getting explosive playmaker Tank Dell back from an injury that cost him the 2025 season, while the Giants could be without multiple starters in their secondary. The Giants are also dealing with injuries along their offensive line while still searching for an answer for how to run the ball.
That said, the change does seem to reflect the fact that there just isn’t much confidence in J.J. McCarthy. He’s an undeniable draft bust for the Vikings and he’ll be going against a defense that was the class of the NFL the last time DeMeco Ryans was running it.
Whatever the reason, or reasons, the Giants are facing long odds on what could be a very consequential game before their bye week.
A win going into their bye (with the Eagles and Commanders looming after the BYE) would mean that the team will maintain their 1.5-game advantage in the division and have a better-than-even chance of making the playoffs. However, a loss will shrink that lead down to just half a game and make it significantly less likely that they make the playoffs.
The Giants could certainly use the upset win, but that seems to be increasingly less likely.
